Key To Redemption
by 666Silvermoon
Summary: Once Thor and Loki return to Asgard, the Allfather must decide what to do with the wayward prince, and ends up banishing him to Midgard. While wandering through the wilderness of upstate New York, Loki happens upon the farm of Diana Sullivan. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE
1. Key To Redemption Ch 1

**Welcome, one and all! This is my first attempt at writing in quite a while, but hopefully it doesn't suck. I hope I do Loki justice in this, and don't make him too OOC. This is the first time I've written something with a character like him, so hopefully throughout the story I'll get better. **

**I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING INVOLVING THE AVENGERS OR LOKI! If i did i wouldn't be writing this people! Now, on to the story.**

**FULL SUMMARY: Once Thor and Loki return to Asgard, the Allfather must decide what to do with the wayward prince, and ends up banishing him to Midgard like he did with Thor. While wandering through the wilderness of upstate New York, Loki happens upon the farm of one Diana Sullivan. She takes him in, despite the fact that she knows who he is and what he's done, since the battle of Manhattan happened a year before. Over the next few months, they get closer and start having feelings for each other. But what happens when the Avengers and SHIELD find out Loki is back on Earth? Can he be redeemed, or will he end up suffering alone?**

**Chapter One**

Thor tightened his grip on Loki as they stood in front of the Allfather, Thor looking up at his father and Loki looking down to stare at his boots. Wrists still chained, the iron muzzle still encircling the lower half of his face, in what was an ironic mockery of an embrace. _All the better for my so called "brother" and "father",_ he had thought venomously, scowling under his gag,_ that i am unable to speak right now, lest they be shocked at what their introverted younger "son" and "brother" is thinking. And the first thing I would say would be to deny those titles. I have no father, nor brother._

Odin seemed to have aged years in the mere moments that it took for Thor and Loki to cross the hall and stand before him in the throne room. He looked down on his sons in deep sadness, as his subjects muttered and gossiped around him, throwing insults towards the darker prince from the safety of the masses. His son barely moved his gaze from the ground, the only indication that he heard any of the subjects was the tightening of his fists and the tenseness in his shoulders. He had adamantly refused to kneel before Odin, showing rebellion even now, in his lowest hour.

Odin stood, raising Gungnir and banging the end onto the floor, silencing the room and ending the whispers, but still Loki did not look up. Odin sighed, but kept his gaze on his youngest son. "Loki Odinson", he started, making his son look up at him and glare with his venomous green eyes, "your crimes include the murder of King Laufey of Jotunheim, the slaughter of numerous innocents, whether by your hand or by that of your so called allies, the Chitauri, the attempt at trying to subjugate the people of Midgard to your will, the theft of the Tesseract to bend a few unfortunate souls to mind control, the almost destruction of Jotunheim, and the attempted murder of the Crown Prince Thor and of me."

Odin banged Gungnir into the floor again, as cries of anger flew to Loki, who kept his eyes trained on Odin, not letting them stray to the woman who stood behind the throne, her face covered in old tears.

Frigga looked upon her youngest, and if she was honest to herself, favorite son as he stood before her husband. He had grown thin in the year she thought him dead. His hair now touched his shoulders instead of the base of his neck, with a few flyaway strands touching the paler skin of his face. She felt her heart breaking all over again as she thought about the wonderful times when Loki and Thor were still young boys, playing in the halls of Asgard or running in the gardens or the riding in the fields. About how Thor would always try to get his brother to wrestle or mock battle with him and the Warriors Three, or to do some other physical activity with him but she knew her youngest was the most happy in the library or when spending time with her. She smiled sadly as she remembered when he brought her a small bouquet of her favorite flowers from the Royal Gardens.

As if sensing him being thought of, Loki turned his eyes towards Frigga. Something in him was tugged uncomfortably as he saw the tear tracts on her cheeks. He never really hated her. How could he? She was always there for him when he was sick as a child, or when he got hurt or was bullied for being smaller and skinnier than the other boys. He still loved her, but was loathe to admit it. _After all,_ he thought bitterly,_ who could ever love a monster like him?_

He looked back up at Odin as he reached his verdict. "The counsel and I have decided that, for your crimes against Asgard, Midgard, and Jotunheim, that you shall be imprisoned in the dungeons of the palace for one Midgard year, and when the year is up, if you are truly regretful of your actions, you shall be released as a free man."

Loki scowled as best as he could at Odin as he was shepherded away by his oaf of a false brother, away from the throne, away from the shouted insults of the people of Asgard, and away from the man who would've used him as a mere war pawn and the woman who had truly raised him.

As Thor unshackled Loki's wrists in his new cell, he looked upon the man he still considered a brother with sadness in his eyes. "Loki," he said softly, making his brother look at him before he removed the muzzle from his face, "you will always be my brother." Loki rubbed his face where the muzzle dug into his skin as he turned away from Thor. "The Loki who was your brother is dead Thor, and he isn't coming back." His voice was cold, and empty as his words broke Thor's heart, his eyes unable to see the anguish upon the blonde god's face as he vehemently shook his head.

"No brother, I know you're wrong." Thor turned away from the man he still called brother, and hurried from the cell, the guard stationed at the door shutting and locking it behind him. But he still heard Loki's parting remark, as it sent a dagger through his heart as he walked away, the guard matching his stride.

"I'm not you're brother Thor…"

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**OK,that's the end of the first chapter of Key to Redemption! Reviews are greatly appreciated,and so is constructive criticism,but flamers will be gutted and eaten by sharks!**

**Loki:*walks in and sits on the couch* It's true,she will do it.**

**666Silvermoon:*looks at him in shock* When did you get here?**

**Loki:*looks bored as he inspects his nails* About five minutes ago.**

**666Silvermoon: *facepalms* I need to get better security...**

**Loki: *smirks* And here I thought you liked me.**

**666Silvermoon: *rolls eyes* Not the point. Anyways,I still don't own the rights to the Avengers or to Loki. Trust me,if i did i'd be rolling in money by now. The next chapter will be along shortly,and will hopefully be longer as well.**


	2. Key To Redemption Ch 2

**Welcome back my readers! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Key To redemption, and here's the second chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

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**FOUR MONTHS LATER:**

Loki barely looked up as he heard the door to his cell swing open, and barely moved as the heavy footfalls of Thor came closer until he saw the blonde god's boots a foot from him.

"Are you ready to talk to me yet brother?" Thor asked, noticeable pleading in his voice.

"I'm not your brother, and there is nothing to talk about you oaf." Loki almost sneered, but his energy wasn't in it. He had been alone for the past few months, and he was even thinner than before. The guards felt the need to cut back on his food rations in order to teach them a lesson. He was just lucky that they hadn't chosen to deal out a more wicked punishment he supposed, and that they were lucky that his cell prevented him from doing magic.

"That's not true brother, and you know it. We may not be related by blood, but we were raised together as brothers! You know this!" Thor said emphatically. "You still owe me an explanation for why you let go when dangling over the abyss, and for why you sought to rule Midgard!"

Loki looked up at Thor now, and sneered. "You're even more of an oaf than I thought. And you want to know why? Because I was tired of living in your shadow!" He hissed venomously, eyes blazing as they looked into Thor's, "I was tired of always being second best to you! Everywhere we went people drowned you in praise and barely looked upon me with nothing more than pity and contempt!"

"That isn't true! We have always been equals!" Thor interjected adamantly.

That made Loki snap as he stood up from his cot, making Thor back away from him as if he'd been bitten. "WE WERE NEVER EQUALS! I was always beneath you in the eyes of everyone, and you did nothing to discourage it! You always boasted whenever you beat me at wrestling or fighting and called me 'weak' and 'woman' whenever I studied my magic! Odin always encouraged you and showered you with praise while I never got a second glance when I showed him whatever I managed to accomplish, and I was always dealt a harsher punishment whenever I did something wrong!"

Loki panted from his outburst, while Thor just stared at him in shock. _Did I really do that to Loki? Was I always so callous to shove him aside and make fun of his magic and studies? _He thought, staring at his brother as his chest heaved.

After a few moments of silence, Loki turned his back on Thor and stared at the wall of his stone cell. "Leave Thor, I wish to see your face no more on this day, or any day to come. You've subjugated me with enough of your presence." Loki said coldly, making Thor sigh, knowing the battle for today was over.

"Very well Loki. I will leave for today brother. But I will be back soon." With that, Thor turned and strode from the cell, ignoring Loki's hissed, "I'm not your brother." on his way out.

Loki scowled deeper as he sat back down on to his cot, going back to staring at the cold stone floor.

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**FIVE MONTHS LATER:**

Loki looked up as the door to his cell swung open, fully ready to yell at Thor to go away but the words died in his throat as he saw Frigga walking into the room, a warm smile upon her face.

"Hello my son." She said lovingly, if a bit sadly, as a chair appeared out of thin air for her to sit in.

"I'm not your son." He said almost automatically, pretending the flash of pain on her face as he said those words didn't send a dagger to his heart.

"I raised you, so you are my son, no matter what anyone else says. I swaddled you, held you as you cried, kissed away cuts and bruises you gained as you grew up, and encouraged you in the art of magic," She said vehemently," You ARE my son, and nothing will change that."

Loki looked at her, anger flashing in his eyes, but also deep sorrow. "Then why did you never tell me of my heritage? Why did you never tell me that I was a frost giant, that I was one of those monsters?!"

Her eyes grew sadder, and unshed tears pooled in them. "Odin forbade me from telling you until he felt the time was right, but you were never one of them! The moment he put you in my arms you were mine, and no one could change that. You are my son Loki, and you always will be." Tears fell from her eyes as she stood and made her way out of his cell.

Loki watched her go until the door to his cell clanged shut, and then he curled up on his bed and tried to hold back his tears, but one still made its way from his eye to splash upon the thin and grimy sheet of his cot.

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**THREE MONTHS LATER**

Today was the day, the end of his imprisonment in Asgard's dungeons. That is if he was truly regretful of his actions. He thought back on the past year, how his only two visitors had been Frigga and Thor. His so called 'father' hadn't visited him once. He thought of how cold his cell had been in the winter, and how damp it had grown once the snow on the grounds started melting. He thought about how tangled and longer his hair had grown, and how thin his blankets were and about how dirty his cell was. He thought about the smaller meals he had gotten from the guards, as their own personal form of punishment, and he thought about his so called 'family.'

He thought about Thor and his once a month visits, about how those visits always ended up with one or both of them shouting, and he thought about Frigga, the woman he still thought of as his mother deep down in his heart, and how her visits had always ended with her saying that he was still her son and with her shedding tears.

Loki scowled as he started thinking about Odin, the man who saved him from death, only to try and use him as a pawn in the game that is diplomacy. He thought long and hard about if he was truly regretful of his actions, and when his cell door opened to admit Thor carrying the magic canceling manacles and a hopeful expression on his face, Loki had his answer.

"I truly hope you've seen the error of your ways brother." Thor told him hopefully, before they entered the throne room and walked toward Odin. Loki said nothing, not even giving Thor a glance as he held his head high, showing that he was not afraid, and that he was still fit to be called a prince.

Frigga looked hopeful as she stood to the right of Odin's throne, while Odin himself held a guarded expression on his face.

"Loki Odinson," he started, almost ignoring the slight wince Loki gave at his last name, "you are brought before the throne of Asgard today for I and the Council to see if you have learned from your past actions and are ready to take your place as a rightful son of Odin again and as a prince of Asgard."

Odin looked down on the man he still called son, a glint of hope sparking in his eye. "Are you ready to be one of us again my son?"

Loki looked back at the man who called him son for his whole life, his eyes emotionless, back straight and body stiff, before he leans back and spits at Odin's feet.

"I would do it all again, and I never was and never will be again your son." Loki calmly said as the room around him erupted in anger at his action. Frigga sobbed and looked away from her son, who might as well have signed his death sentence.

Odin sighed deeply. "Then I have no choice. Since you've wanted to be Thor's equal in the past, I will give you the same punishment I gave him. You will be banished to Midgard, with your immortality and magic stripped, until you've learned from and regret you're actions."

He banged Gungnir on the floor, before pointing it at Loki, whose armor and magic was stripped from him in a shower of gold and green, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black trousers and a green tunic, before Loki was pushed through a portal behind him that would take him to Midgard.

The last thing he saw of Asgard was Thor's stricken face and his mother's blue eyes shining with tears.

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**Whoo! Done with chapter two. Sorry it took me so long people, I've had other things to do. Anyways, I'd really like some reviews on how I'm doing so far.**

**Loki: *rolls eyes* Must you act like a dog begging for a treat?**

**666Silvermoon: *glares at Loki* Least I'm not acting like drama queen.**

**Loki: *sneers* You wish you were as amazing as me.**

**666Silvermoon: Yeah, yeah, whatever makes you feel better Primma Donna. Anyways, review!**


	3. Key To Redemption Ch 3

**Hello my readers! I apologize for the slight cliffhanger at the end of my last chapter, and I will try and make this one longer and more detailed.**

**666Silvermoon: *looks at Loki* I apologize for what I'm about to do to you in this chapter.**

**Loki: *scowls at her* Why? What are you going to do to me?**

**666Silvermoon:*smiles sheepishly* you'll see.**

**Chapter 3**

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Loki yelped, and then groaned as he roughly landed on the ground, a carpet of grass, leaves and twigs barely softening his landing. He lay where he fell for a few moments, before slowly sitting up and surveying his surroundings.

A forest of greens and browns assaulted his eyes as he looked around. Tall trees were evenly spaced apart with various other plants growing between them, and as he looked down he saw a blanket of long dead leaves and twigs covering the forest floor.

He scowled as he saw he was barefoot. "They didn't even leave my boots on my feet. How barbaric. " He muttered under his breath as he looked around once again, and then chose a random direction and started walking.

For the next hour he yelped and cursed whenever he stepped on a sharp rock or twig, and he tripped over a root he would've sworn hadn't been there before he finally just gave up and sat down and leaned back against a tree.

His scowl deepened at the pain in his feet and the emptiness of his stomach. _Mortal bodies are such weak things; _he thought sourly, _this would never have happened if I still had my magic. _

Loki looked at the soles of his feet and cursed as he saw that they were bloody and covered in dirt and leaves. "Well that's just wonderful." He said sarcastically.

He looks around, not noticing anything different about his current scenery from where he just walked from. For some reason this irritated him incredibly, so he grabbed the thing closest to him, in this case a rock about the size of his fist, and threw it as hard as he could with an angry yell. It sailed through the air for a bit before hitting a dense patch of brush, with something inside it giving a pained whine.

Loki raised an eyebrow as what looked like a small black cub of some sort ambled out of the brush, a cut along its forehead dripping blood its fur. A matching cub ambled out with it, crying out at its sibling's pain.

His eyes widened as a deep roar came from the brush, and a large version of the cubs, their mother he realized, emerged from it and roared at him, her canines flashing at him. She must weigh at least twice as much as him he thought.

He cursed as she charged, and he turned and ran, the mother hot on his heels. However, luck was not on his side as the female creature quickly overtook him and snapped her jaws around his calf, causing him to fall flat on his face.

He yelled out in pain as her teeth dug into his leg, tearing at the flesh and muscle before he turned on his back and kicked out at her head with his foot. She growls angrily, shaking her head with his leg still in her jaws. Pain clouds his mind as he screams out, her fangs digging deeper into his calf as his blood soon covers the forest floor.

He kicked out at her head again, catching her in the eye and she releases his leg, growling in anger as she shakes the pain away, his blood flicking from her snout onto his tunic and the leaves around him.

He crawled backwards until his back hit a tree, and stared in terror at the animal when she roared at him again. She lumbered towards him, teeth bared and flecked with blood as she growled.

He figured this was the end for him, but the Fates seemed to be on his side.

He caught something larger than the creature in front of him but just as black running up from his left fast, and soon it was in front of him and rearing on its back legs.

It was a large black horse, it front legs striking out at the creature as she herself got up on her hind legs, roaring at the horse. The horse wouldn't back down though, its neigh loud and deep as it kept striking out at the creature, the feathering around its hooves flying and its teeth bared as it tossed its wavy mane, no doubt hitting its rider in the face. Speaking of rider, he couldn't see who was riding the horse, as they seemed to be wearing all black as well, even with some sort of black hat, obscuring the color of their hair and their gender. _Whoever it is, they seem to know what they're doing, _he thought as he watched the creature backing down and ambling away, her two cubs at her side.

The horse came down from its rear, stomping a front hoof in triumph, tossing its head and flicking its tail. Its rider gently patted its neck with a surprisingly slim and pale looking hand, saying something in a low voice that Loki couldn't hear.

His vision started to grow dark as he looked down at his bloody leg, his trouser hanging in tatters around it. He looked up as the horse started to turn around, his eyes seeing a flash of red under the rider's hat, and a pair of icy blue eyes staring back into his before his vision went black and his body fell back against the tree.

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**Half an Hour Earlier, Diana's P.O.V**

I yawned as I finished cleaning out the last horse pen of my stables. The horse who resided in the pen, a gentle bay mare by the name of Cinnamon, softly whinnied as I covered the clean floor of her pen in fresh straw. I smiled, softly laughing as I brought the very pregnant mare back into her pen, gently patting her withers as I left and closed the door behind me.

"Won't be long now girl," I said with a smile, "till that foal of yours is ready to come out." The mare tossed her head in agreement as I turned and walked down the stable's aisle, looking in on my various horses as they dozed in their stalls or as they ate the last bit of their lunch.

I laughed as I stopped in front of the pen of my favorite riding horse. Apollo's Vagabond, or just Apollo when he's not competing, is a Friesian horse I rescued from a rather cruel owner when he was two years old. Now, at five years of age, his once dull and dirty coat that showed his ribs from malnutrition is now as bright black as the new moon, with his weight back to a healthy 1700 pounds.

The horse in question tossed his head, neighing in excitement as I got his lead out. "I see you're ready for our daily ride, huh Apollo?" I said while laughing as Apollo tossed his head again, agreeing with me. I attached his lead to his bridle and soon led him to the exit of the stables.

I tied his lead off and then heave up my English riding saddle and buckle it into place over his black saddle blanket. I gently ease his rubber bit into his mouth and untie him before stepping up and swinging my leg over his back, seating myself onto the saddle.

I pull up my mass of blood red curls out of my eyes and tie it up with a bandanna of the same shade of red before topping my black cowboy hat onto my head, completing my look of black jeans, black boots and black long sleeved shirt. I decided a long time ago to wear all black whenever I'm out riding, since it's harder to see dirt, sweat or anything else in the fabric then in the more colorful items I own.

I click my tongue and gently press the heels of my boots into Apollo's ribs, making him go forward at a steady trot, heading towards one of the many trails leading away from my farm and stables.

The Redemptio Farm and Stables has been in my family ever since my great grandfather Brogan Sullivan came over from Ireland back in the 1900s. He, being the youngest son in a family of 8, wanted a place to raise a family of his own in the land of opportunity. He ended up meeting my great grandmother, who was also Irish, in the middle of Brooklyn back in 1910, and it wasn't long before they were married. They had their first child of many a year later, and kept having them until eventually my great grandmother died during WWII. By that time my grandfather, Cormac Sullivan was ten years old, with four older brothers and two younger twin sisters.

Two of his older brothers died soon after his mother, fighting over in Germany while the other two stayed at home and helped out around the farm. My grandfather ended up taking over the house, cleaning and cooking when he could but mostly taking care of his younger sisters, Ella and Elisa. Eventually his older brothers, Cody and Liam, left the farm to make their own families. Liam went back to Ireland while Cody went farther west, making his home somewhere in California.

Ella and Elisa however, stayed in New York with my grandfather, until Ella met a handsome suitor and moved away to Louisiana and Elisa moved to Ireland to get back to her roots. My grandfather married my grandmother Katrina after inheriting the farm when his father passed away in the late 1950s, and they had my father Donovan Sullivan in the early 1960s after my uncle Connor and my aunt Sarah came along. My father moved to Ireland when he was 20, and soon met my mother and married her three years later. They had my twin brothers Aiden and Lucas a year later, and had me two years after them.

I smile as I remember all the things we got into when the three of us were kids, and always getting caught in the act by mom. We moved back to the states when I was eight and they were ten, so dad could help granda on the farm. Mom found a job at the local bakery in town, and she now owns it after the owner passed away a year ago. Lucas went to Law school and now lives in Virginia with his own practice, while Aiden lives in town and helps me run the family farm when not working at the local fire station, though I do most of the work myself, since my father died three years ago.

I hear a bark behind me and I turn in the saddle, seeing my chocolate Labrador Kida and my German Shepherd Taboo wagging their tails and looking at me with pleading eyes.

"I'll play with you two later, back in the house!" I called, making them whine but go back inside all the same. I shook my head with a laugh and lead Apollo down one of the lesser used southern trails. I bring my hat lower over my eyes, shielding them from the sun. My eyes are one thing I always get attention on, both negative and positive. They're an icy blue, almost white, like a Huskie's. Some people say my eyes are creepy, while others say they're beautiful.

I'm told I get them from my mother's side, with her own blue eyes, if a darker shade, and yet her hair is blond like wheat. My dad had chestnut brown hair, though it shined red in sunlight, and his eyes were as green as emeralds. My brothers gained their hair colors from our parents, with Lucas gaining dad's brown hair, with Aiden getting mom's blonde hair, though they both gained mom's darker blue eyes. Dad always moaned in disappointment because none of us gained his eyes, but he was proud of us none the less.

I sighed as a pang of sadness hit my chest, but I mentally brushed it away. My father would want me to remember the good times I had with him. I smiled as I pat Apollo's neck. My father was the one who helped me rescue Apollo from his previous owner, and I've been thankful ever since.

I ease Apollo up to a fast canter, wanting to get the jitters out of his legs and feet from being stuck inside his stall all day. Being a spirited horse, he only ever lets me ride him for some reason. He bucks off or evades Aiden or any volunteers he brings along every other week. I don't know why, he never let my dad ride him either, and he helped save Apollo.

After ten minutes of a fast canter, I ease him back into a walk to let him relax a bit and for me to take in the scenery. I breathe in the air deeply, sensing the slight crisp that signifies fall is approaching. After the mild spring but sweltering summer of this year, I'll be glad when fall and winter are here. I always preferred colder weather, ever since I was a little girl in the Irish moors.

Apollo stops short, head rising and his nostrils flaring as he snorts. I look at him in confusion and worry. "What is it boy, something dangerous nearby?" I say in a whisper. His ears swivel in a direction off trail, and I hear a faint scream, a human scream. Without thinking I dig my heels into Apollo's ribs and giving him his head, make him full on gallop towards the sound. I lay low over his back and neck, avoiding low branches and vines as Apollo gets closer and closer to the sound, till I can faintly see a man on the ground wrestling with something the size of a rather large dog with black fur. _Holy shit! That's a black bear! _I thought in horror as I saw the bear had a grip on the man's leg with its powerful jaws.

I spurred on Apollo harder, and with a burst of speed we were in front of the bear as soon as it let go of the man's leg with the man pressed himself up against a tree. I brought Apollo to a rear and he took over, striking out at the bear with his hooves and neighing loudly in a challenge. The bear roared as it stood on its back feet, baring a blood flecked muzzle at Apollo, but Apollo bared his teeth back, neighing louder. Within seconds the bear stood down and lumbered away, two little cubs following after their mom.

Apollo came down from his rear, stomping his hoof in triumph and tossing his head as I softly laugh and pat his neck. "Good boy Apollo, you might just have saved that man's life." I say softly before turning him around, just in time to see the man's eyes cloud over and close as he blacks out. I gasp softly, because I've seen him before, though it was nearly a year ago and on the news after the whole Manhattan incident. "What in the name of all that is holy is the villain Loki doing in upstate New York being attacked by a bear?" I said softly to myself as I slide from my saddle and slowly walk to him and then squat down in front of him, looking him over with narrowed eyes. _He's paler, and thinner then he looked when he was on the news. His hair is longer as well, and he's not even wearing any boots or shoes. He looks like hell, _I thought to myself as I analyze him. I then look at the leg the bear had a hold of, and see it's rather torn up and bloody, with blood still sluggishly pumping from the wounds.

I make a quick decision and grab the pocket knife I keep in my boot, and cut off both of my sleeves. I cut the sleeves into strips and quickly bound his leg with them, temporarily stopping the bleeding until we got to my home. I decide against taking him to a hospital, seeing as how he's a wanted criminal. Plus, I wanted to know the reason he was here.

I tied the last strip around his leg and then got next to him, grabbed his arm and tossed it over my shoulders, grunting slightly as I brought him up, his feet dragging as I brought him over to Apollo, who brings his nose over to Loki, taking in his scent. I pause, wondering what Apollo's about to do, before he snorts and folds his legs up under himself, lying down on his stomach. My jaw nearly drops, because he's never accepted carrying someone that easily. I don't think too hard about it as I gently ease Loki into the saddle, and sit behind him. "Glad I didn't use my western saddle," I mutter as Apollo stands up, jarring Loki so he falls back against me from lying against Apollo's neck. Through his thin tunic I can feel his spinal vertebrae, and as I wrap one arm around his waist I feel the outlines of his ribs. I frown slightly as I steer Apollo north, in direction of home.

I lead Apollo through the woods towards home, with Apollo doing his best not to jar Loki around too much, though I do tighten my hold on him a bit now and again. We soon reach the ranch, and I lead Apollo straight to my front door, where I slide from the saddle and then ease Loki down from Apollo's back, the air being knocked from my lungs as he hits me, still being careful to not jar his leg too much.

"For a man with his ribs showing, you sure weigh a lot." I muttered as I semi-carried Loki up my front steps and through the front door of my pale green Victorian style house. I slowly moved him to one of the guest bedrooms downstairs, grabbing a towel from the linen closet and laying it on the navy blue comforter before laying him down on the bed, positioning his wounded leg on the towel. I quickly got my first aid kit, a basin of warm water and clean rag and re-entered the guest room. I put down my supplies, and then took the thin scissors I keep in my first aid kit and cut away the tatters of his pant leg, and the cut away at the strips I made of my sleeves around his leg. I put down the scissors, but a groan coming from Loki's sprawled form stopped me in my tracks. I looked up at him, and saw his eyelids fluttering open.

I nearly bit my tongue off to keep from gasping as I saw his eyes. They were so beautiful, so green and yet so full of pain and sadness, and confusion. He looked around the room, no doubt taking in the pale blue walls and the white ceiling before those emerald eyes of his landed on me, and his eyes darkened in anger and even more confusion, before his lips parted and he spoke, his voice carrying a faint British accent.

"Who are you? And what am I doing here? If you think you can keep me prisoner-"

"I am not trying to. I'm only trying to patch you up enough to where you stop bleeding on my towels." I interrupt him, dipping the rag in the warm water and wringing it out. His eyes narrow at me, but my own eyes stare back, too concerned to be impressed. In his silence I take the liberty to start cleaning the wet and drying blood from his leg, which had thankfully stopped bleeding.

"Oh, where are my manners, I'm Diana Sullivan. I'm sure it'll be a pleasure to get acquainted with you, Loki."

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**Ok folks, that's chapter three, where Loki and Diana first meet! I hope you enjoyed it and I do apologize for the wait, I've been busy and haven't had access to the internet, and a special shout out goes to my first reviewer, ****Serafina****, for saying I got Loki's personality brilliantly. I do hope to gain more reviews with people telling me what they think. ****J**

**Loki: *glares at 666Silvermoon* A bear?! I got attacked by a bear?!**

**666Silvermoon: *facepalms* oh boy, here we go…**

**Loki: Why a bear?! Couldn't I have just happened upon "Diana"?**

**666Silvermoon: *glares at Loki* No, because then it wouldn't have been dramatic enough, plus you might have tried to take over her farm or something. At least now you owe her a debt of gratitude, so you'll be less inclined to be evil to her. *mutters* Fat lot of good that'll do…**

**Loki:*glare darkens* I heard that!**

**666Silvermoon: Get over it ya drama queen!**

**Read and review people, and I might just write the next chapter faster!**


	4. Key To Redemption Ch 4

**Ok people, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and are looking forward to more by me. A special shout out to ****watergoddesskasey ****for being my second reviewer. And I hope all of you are at least laughing on the inside as I argue with Loki before and after every new chapter.**

**Loki: *glares at 666Silvermoon* I'm still angry at you for what you did to me. Was it really necessary for me to be mauled by a bear? **

**666Silvermoon: *sighs angrily* For the last time, yes! You're just lucky mountain lions don't live in New York or I would've made one of those attack you! Now stop whining, sit down, and shut up before I introduce you to duct tape the hard way!**

**Loki: *glares and softly growls but doesn't speak as he sits down in the chair behind him***

**666Silvermoon: *rubs her temples in agitation and mutters* For a guy as hot as you, you have a shitty personality. **

**Diana: *leans towards 666Silvermoon and whispers behind her hand* Is he always like that?**

**666Silvermoon: Unfortunately, yes. Now then, can I please start with the chapter? *glares pointedly at Loki***

**Loki: *glares back but doesn't say anything***

**Good, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Loki stared at the woman before him incredulously, not believing what she just said. "Wh-what?" he almost stuttered, his confusion so blatant.

She just looks at him patiently, her pale blue eyes staring into his green ones without fear. A red rag of some sort covers her hair from his sight, but a few blood red curls escape its confines to frame her heart shaped face. A pair of thin, dark scars mars her otherwise flawless pale skin, one going vertically over her left eye, and the other going diagonally across her left cheek, both about the size of his thumb. Her eyebrows are a darker red then her hair, and they slightly arch over her eyes and are neatly groomed. Her eyelashes are long enough to almost brush her slightly prominent cheekbones as she blinks. All in all, he estimates that she's relatively attractive, by mortal standards at least.

He struggles to sit up, wincing as he jars his leg and almost pushes the woman away as she stands up and moves closer to help him. "I can sit up myself woman; I have no need for help from you." He sneered at her, his eyes burning with disdain towards her.

Her eyes slightly narrow and an eyebrow arches before she extravagantly bows to him. "If the lord wishes it, then it must be done no doubt. Would you like me to fluff your pillows for you as well Sire?" Her voice, slightly lilting with an edge of huskiness and a hint of an accent he can't place, is dripping with sarcasm.

His anger rises at her impudence, but before he can say anything she goes back to cleaning the dried and slightly wet blood from his leg, causing him to hiss in pain as the rag rubs against his wounds.

"Can't you be any more careful?!" He almost yelled, his anger rising with his pain.

She looks up at him, her eyes staring into his with a spark of anger in them. "Maybe if you asked nicely I would, but since you're acting like a right bloody asshole, no. I don't think I will." Her voice drips with barely concealed venom as she continues to clean his leg.

He stares at her gob-smacked, because no one had ever talked to him like that before. He soon regains his speech ability though. "How dare you! I am the heir to the throne of Asgard and I demand to be treated like it! I will not have an impudent quim like you treat me with such disrespect!" His voice was raised and he knew he was letting his temper get the best of him, but he was in the pain and he was confused so he wasn't thinking clearly.

She says nothing in reply; instead she finished cleaning up his leg and cleaned out his feet before opening a kit sitting next to her. She takes out some bandages, a spool of thread, and a thin silver needle. She threads the needle carefully after wiping it down with a bit of white cloth smelling of alcohol, and looks up at him.

"Would you like something to hold between your teeth while I stitch you back up, or are you accustomed enough to pain? Judging by your reaction to me cleaning your leg of blood, I think not." Her voice is even enough sounding, but he can't help but think she was mocking him, so he stayed silent and simply glared at her with every bit of venom he had in order to show that he still thought himself superior.

She said nothing after that, and simply started to stitch up the bites the creature left. He clenched his jaws against the pain, but he couldn't stop small grunts from escaping his throat every now and again. He was thankful when she finished the last neat row of stitches and started covering them up in bandages, along with the slight cuts on his feet. "You may think you're the heir to the throne of Asgard Loki, but you're not in Asgard. You're in upstate New York. I'm guessing you are also not immortal anymore, nor do you possess any magic, otherwise you would not have been attacked by a bear and sustained these wounds. You are just as mortal as I am, so I will not treat you like a higher power, but I will treat you as an equal." She said all of this in the time it took her to bandage him up and gather her supplies up. As she stood in the doorway to the room he was in, she looked back at him, her eyes softer than they were earlier.

"I will not turn you in to the authorities, not until I know the full reason on why you are here. Now, I must tend to my horse Apollo, and then I will make us something to eat. Remember, I could have easily let the bear maul you to death, but instead I intervened. Try and remember that." She says this evenly, and then turns and leaves the room, softly closing the door behind her.

Loki is dumbfounded. He can't believe that that woman just spoke to him like that, and wasn't intimidated by him at all. She obviously knew of him, maybe even knew what he had done a year ago. And yet she treated him, almost kindly, except when he snapped at her. Then she snapped right back, but in a more controlled manner, almost like she didn't care that he thought himself above her. He felt his anger waning, slightly, and his intrigue climbing.

He didn't know how to take her kindness, seeing it had been so long since he had been treated as fairly as this, so he did the only thing he could; he pushed it away and focused on something else. He smirked as he thought that solving the puzzle of what made this "Diana" tick might actually be a little fun. And when he cracked the code, he'd take great pleasure in using whatever hidden secrets he'd find against her, of that he was certain.

* * *

**Diana's P.O.V**

I was silently fuming as I walked out of my house. _How dare he! Spoiled, pompous asshole. I can't believe I'm actually caring for him and allowing him to stay in my house! _I chastised myself as I grabbed Apollo's reigns as he stood by my front steps and lead him back to the stables and to his stall. "Curse my damn curiosity and my penchant for taking in abandoned things." I muttered under my breath as I untack Apollo and rub him down with a rubber curry comb.

I sighed and shook my head as I hooked up Apollo's navy blue bridle around his head, and he gently nuzzled his nose against my cheek. I smiled slightly and patted his nose before setting some oats into his bucket and leaving his stall, closing the door behind me. I checked up on the other horses that currently weren't in the field before heading back to my house. I headed upstairs to my own personnel bathroom and cleaned up before changing out of my riding clothes and into a pair of white sneakers, a white off the shoulder top and sapphire blue cotton capris before heading back downstairs. I took my bandanna off and shook out my mane of red curls and headed to the kitchen, before stopping in the doorway as a thought came to me. _What do Asgardians even eat? _I was thoughtful on what to make, but decided a light meal would be best for the both of us, at least to hold us till dinner since it was still early off in the afternoon. Plus, I didn't think Loki would be able to handle anything extremely heavy from how skinny he was.

I decided on making a small fruit salad of cherries, grapes, orange slices, apple slices, blackberries and raspberries for the two of us with some bread I had make earlier in the week with a bit of homemade jam from a neighbor a few miles down the road.I set the bowl of fruit salad, the slices of bread and a bit of the jam, along with two smaller bowls and a serving spoon, a knife and two forks before putting it on a wooden platter and carrying it to the guest room I situated Loki in. I knocked on the door, because I didn't know what he was doing in there. I heard a slight "You may enter," before I opened the door and stepped inside, to the sight of Loki with his legs over the side of the bed as he tried to stand up.

"Hey now, you're not strong enough to stand on your own." I gently chastised him as I set down the platter of food on the walnut dresser before going to his side. He glared at me and tried standing on his own anyways and tried to walk, but his leg twitched and gave out on him before he could take two steps. Luckily I caught him before he could face plant onto the push carpet and helped him back onto the bed. "I don't need your help woman!" He spat at me as he yanked his arms from my grasp and sat heavily back on the bed. I clenched my jaw but I kept my temper in check. "Maybe not, but your leg is still too damaged to walk on it, and your feet must hurt, since you were walking barefoot through these woods; the ground isn't known for being soft." My voice was even toned as I spoke, and I stood and retrieved the tray of food I made up before setting it on the bed. "I made a light lunch. The fruits are fresh, just got them yesterday, and I made the bread myself. The jam is made from blueberries, blackberries and raspberries by a neighbor of mine. It's rather good." I spooned some of the salad into one of the smaller bowls and held it out to Loki.

He looked at me confused, like he didn't know why I was doing this. I didn't look away from him, keeping my expression even as I kept the bowl held out to him, until finally he took it from my hands, along with the fork I passed him. I spread some of the jam on a slice of bread and pass it to him as well before I spoon my own serving of fruit salad into my bowl and serve myself some of the bread before silently starting to eat. Every now and then my eyes would go up to watch Loki as he ate. His movements are ever methodical and slower than my own, almost like he was having trouble eating. It only confirmed my suspicions that wherever he's been for the last year or so, he was at least partially starved. That set my blood boiling because no human deserved to be starved, but I pushed down my anger. By the time I had finished my food, he had barely consumed half of his salad but at least he had eaten all of his bread.

I saw he didn't want to eat anymore so I set his and my own bowl back onto the tray and picked it up as I stood. When I got to the door I stopped and looked back at him. "If you want you can take a nap until dinner, or you can look through the channels on the TV. I personally suggest the nap, seeing as how you look like you haven't gotten much sleep. I assure you Loki, you are safe here as long as you cause no harm to me, my animals and any visitors I have in the future. You have my word as a Sullivan." With that said I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me and headed to the kitchen, where my three cats were nosing about in the kitchen, looking for their food.

Cleo, my lilac pointed Siamese queen with blue eyes was pacing in a circle around her food bowl, while my silver tabby Maine Coon tom Atlas was simply waiting for me, his yellow eyes patient as he flicked his tail back and forth to the amusement and apparent delight of the newest addition to our household, a spunky ginger tom kitten barely six months old by the name of Kona with one green eye and one blue. I softly laughed as I put a handful of food into each of their bowls and scratched each one behind the ears as they began eating. I put away the leftover fruit and brought Kida and Taboo in from outside and got them bowls of their own food, Taboo diving right in to his food while Kida ate at her more sedate pace.

I went outside and headed to the stables, feeding all the horses that were in their stalls and putting food in the stalls that housed the rest of my horses before getting a lead rope and bringing in the six that were out in the field and leading each one to their respective stalls. I had about 12 horses, with six mares, four stallions and two geldings, and I loved every single one of them. I had saved each one from a cruel or a neglectful owner, and retrained them and gained their trust. My first one was one of my geldings, a silver dapple Thoroughbred by the name of Commander. I and my mother saved him from a cruel owner about ten years ago that had trail raced him to the point of exhaustion, so he now has bad lungs and is unable to do anything more strenuous than light trail riding. My most recent one is a pretty little palomino quarter horse I named Goldenrod I saved under half a year ago that had a very neglectful owner that barely fed her more than half of what a horse her size is supposed to get. Her weight has steadily climbed back up to where it's supposed to be, but I'm still having some trouble with getting her use to humans.

I sighed softly as I brought in the last horse, my six year old chestnut Arabian stallion with four white socks by the name of Ace of Diamonds, for the white diamond on his forehead, or just Ace for short. I double checked to make sure all my horses had food and water before heading back up to the house.

As I entered the kitchen I saw that all of my pets' food dishes were empty, so I washed the dishes and soon went into the living room and turned on the TV, low volume in case my house guest was asleep. My animals followed me and sat around or near me, my dogs at my feet and my cats on my dove grey sectional couch with me; Cleo in my lap, Atlas curled up against my side and Kona sitting on the arm of the couch. I flicked through the channels till I got to an old Disney movie and soon relaxed.

* * *

**Back to Third Person, With Loki**

Loki looked around the room once more after Diana left, taking the leftover food with her. He had to admit to himself that bread and the jam was quite good, and the fruit salad wasn't half bad, even if he didn't know the kind of Midgardian fruits were in it. He inspected the pale blue walls and looked over the furniture; a pale brown chest of drawers with a mirror attached atop it and a nightstand made of the same type of wood set up against the bed, which was reasonably sized and soft, with a dark blue blanket and medium blue pillows, which were also soft as he propped himself up against them.

He looked out the window that the wall the bed was set up against had, and saw through the sheer white curtains that he was on the bottom floor of this house, and that there was a long wooden building about ten yards from the next house. He figured those were the stables that housed the horse that the Diana was riding, Apollo she called him.

A few minutes later he saw Diana exit the front door and head toward the stables, where she stayed for a little while before exiting, a black lead rope in her hands. He watched her walk past the window's border, before reappearing a minute later, leading a brown horse with big patches of white along its neck and rump with two full white back legs. She brought it inside the stables and soon exited them again, going outside of the window's border again, and when she entered it again she was leading a brown horse with a white face that stopped just before its ears, blue eyes and a white rump with brown spots. She repeated this process with four more horse; a white one with black spots covering its entire body, a large reddish brown one with black legs and a rather short tail, a mostly white one with dark grey legs stopping just above the knee, and a delicate looking brown one with a neck with a high arch and was stepping highly with white socked feet. How many other horses were there, Loki wondered. The horses he saw were rather impressive specimens he supposed. They had healthy coats, good gaits, and bright and intelligent eyes.

Diana finally exited the stables for the last time and headed back inside, and he heard what he figured was a TV coming on. Loki yawned softly, the food he had earlier fully filling his stomach for the first time in months and making him tired, his encounter with the bear not exactly a walk in a park either.

He maneuvered back to lie down on the bed, the pillows soft under his head as he relaxed. He supposed that a nap didn't sound too bad, but he just hoped that Diana kept her word and didn't turn him in to the authorities, but he would be more surprised if she didn't. To him, mortals would do anything to gain prestige or fortune. However, he supposed that a few hours of rest would bring him at least a little peace, in case she did call the authorities on him. That was Loki's last thought before his own heartbeat and the sound of the TV in the living room lulled him into a deep sleep.

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**And that is the end of chapter four! I hope you all enjoyed it and will post reviews on what you think of it. I do enjoy people telling me how I'm doing you know.**

**Loki: *is sitting in a chair pouting because the author has rejected his request on somehow giving him his magic back***

**666Silvermoon: *looks over at Loki* Oh for the Pete's sake, stop glaring would ya? It's not the cutest look on you.**

**Loki: *looks at the author and glares at her harder***

**Diana: *shrugs* I don't know, the pout looked cute to me.**

**666Silvermoon: Maybe, but he has no right to pout. He should just be patient like the rest of us.**

**Anyway, read and review please!**


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